Alyce in WoNYderland
by Serendipitous-Slug
Summary: Spin off of Alice in Wonderland uhmmm...the begining is a bit rough, started it a while ago, but it gets better...I think :D
1. Chapter 1

1

On a warm day in late September, Alyce sat in contemplation as she watched the waves roll in and felt the ocean breeze upon her face. Alyce could often be found in this spot, under (or in) a shady willow tree with her West Highland Terrier, Rabbit. Sometimes, Alyce brought along a book when she walked Rabbit around the neighborhood. Today though, Alyce just felt like sitting and daydreaming.

Rabbit nudged under Alyce's arm until he was sitting in her lap. Absent mindedly, but lovingly all the same, she stroked him between the ears. Alyce had a preference for larger dogs but the small apartment she shared with her parents and occasionally her older sister, back from college, just would not accommodate a Great Dane or a Mastiff. Still, a dog was a dog and a friend was a friend, the later being something she was not plentiful in.

Alyce thought of her style as a mixture between Harajuku and little house on the prairie, a mixture of small flowered prints and big bold colors, Plain Jane along with her alter ego Crazy Jane. However, the "normal" people who clogged her school's hallways described it as weird and slightly insane. Maybe it was Alyce compromising with her normal society or maybe she just liked it, she wasn't sure, but Alyce wore her thick blonde hair secured with a ribbon tied behind her neck. The style wasn't necessarily _in style_ but normal enough. Sometimes the ribbon was polka dotted, striped, tie-dyed or had a large bow, flower or buckle. Mostly though, she wore a black velvet ribbon her sister and (only) friend had given her a month back for her 16th birthday.

At the beginning of the school year, every year since middle school and into high school, Alyce was a novelty in the eyes of her peers. Girls would ask about her clothes and even compliment her on them. Guys would look at her in interest. Once both sexes talked to her a little more however and assumptions were made, novelty turned to freak show. She would be looked upon as an individual and "cool" but then was then frowned upon and denounced as a loner and a weirdo. She still was an individual though, being as no one really talked to her.

For example, school had started back up again for Alyce's junior year and she had delicately picked out her outfit for the first day of school, soft worn in brown corduroy's with a loose, bright yellow, 60's-esk (Probably was from the 60's) mini dress over that. Alyce completed the ensemble with a big metal belt, black flats and a black ribbon with a very large bow on top of her head. When Alyce walked into her first period English class she chose a seat next to the window that overlooked the quad. In moments the classroom was filled and she looked over to the two girls who sat one in front of the other in the two desks next to hers. When they noticed her glance the two girls eyed her somewhat suspiciously but then, relaxed.

"Nice dress" the first one said. The other girl nodded vigorously and smiled.

"Yeah, totally. Where did you get it?"

"Oh, thank you. Elle's Drawers." She said, referring to the used and vintage store a few blocks from her house where she was both an avid shopper and employee when Elle could afford to hire.

They included her in their conversation in which Alyce nodded politely when needed and spoke when asked a question. After a few more days of this the two girls began to giggle behind their hands at Alyce instead of praising her fashion taste and sharing gossip. Alyce didn't mind though, she had been experiencing this for years and was prepared for it.

It was not only her clothes that shyed people away from Alyce but her interests and temperament as well.

Alyce wasn't necessarily a silent person, but she only spoke when she had something important or witty to say, and even when she did have something important she didn't always share it. Girls at her school, she learned early on, weren't interested to know how many minks were killed to make their designer shoes, or that actually, Marie Antoinette was Austrian not French, or that Alyce's name was not pronounced Aleece but rather like Alice.

While her peers enjoyed the latest music from Britney Spear's come back to rap and hip-hop, Alyce's music taste didn't reach past the 1980's. She had gone through a Beatles craze which was still apparent by the vintage posters hung around the room sporting the four young men walking through a cross walk, cartoon yellow submarines and lyrics sprawled across the glossy 27 x 41s. Now Alyce was dipping back even further for music, the Andrews sisters and Glen Miller were two more favorites. Alyce also had an appreciation for older movies, black and white or silent. In 9th grade when they watched To Kill a Mockingbird several of her classmates groaned at the lack of color.

Alyce and her sister found themselves often compromising on musicals, an old Julie Andrews classic like Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and Thoroughly Modern Millie or something newer like Mama Mia, Hairspray, a Bollywood film or something from Broadway. Though musicals were one of the only things Alyce and her sister had in common she was still the only one who understood Alyce. Through high school Alyce's sister had been popular, something Alyce most certainly was not. She had been voted best this and that and had a lot of friends, and boyfriends. Alyce might have hated her for all these things if she had not, everyday come home and defied the "perfect and popular" image she had at school. She didn't go out and party or fight with her parents and her little sister. The four of them actually got along rather well.

Alyce's parents, though relatively normal in Alyce's mind, were well loved by their children. They had met in college both majoring in ecology and human rights. After college they married and began their family. Both appreciated slight abnormalities in common names, especially when this change was done with "y's". Mr. Levonski or Jaymes and Mrs. Levonski or Kayte named their first daughter Sophya and their second Alyce. When Alyce had named her white puppy "Rabbit" her parents were a bit disappointed, trying to at least get her to spell it creatively, perhaps with a "y"? Alyce, how ever refused bluntly and that ended that discussion.

"All right Rabbit, time to go home." Alyce said, standing up and brushing dirt and grass from the back of her voluminous blue skirt. Today, Alyce had chosen a plain black blouse with pretty pearl buttons and capped shoulders which she tucked into a short blue satin skirt that she had equipped with layers of tool to make big and poofy. Over this she wore a white pinafore that had deep pockets furrowed into them, something she appreciated greatly. She also wore her velvet ribbon in her hair along, white tights and low black Mary Jane pumps that boosted her 5'8 to 5 ft eight and a half inches.

Alyce began to walk away until she felt the leash in her hand become unusually slack. Turning around she looked down to see a collar with no dog lying in the grass. In the distance a white glob could be seen running up the street.

It had been years since Rabbit had pulled one of these stunts. Alyce trotted quickly up the parks sidewalk, cursing her poor choice of foot wear. Alyce began gaining on the little dog, she figured she could catch him by the time they reached the outside of the park, maybe a bit further from home than necessary but they would take the long way home. She thought this until she noticed Rabbit did not exit through the black iron gates but rather made a sharp 90-degree turn and crawled through a hole dug by some larger dog from one side of the gate to the other. Alyce picked up her speed and reached the hole to see Rabbit sitting on the other side. She tried to coax him through the hole and back over to her side but he began to bark and move forward than back then forward and back again as if to say, "Come on Alyce, were going to be late, HURRY!"

Alyce scrambled through the hole under the fence, trying to keep some integrity by holding down her skirts, just imagining what kind of show the park dwellers were getting. How she regretted not wearing bloomers today, instead choosing something a tad bit more risky. Once out of the hole Alyce was kneeled, ready to pounce on Rabbit if need be. She reached out for him and he walked backwards slowly.

Alyce crooned in a sweet voice, "Co' mere Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit, oh good boy…"

Just as she was about to clip the collar back around his neck he bolted. Alyce, prepared, threw herself, arms outstretched to catch him in her arms, Rabbit just barely escaping. Alyce lay on her stomach in the grass with her chin dug into the dirt watching Rabbit running down the street and amongst a bunch of cars going through a toll bridge. Alyce got up, steadied herself and took off running after Rabbit again.

Right as she reached the tollbooth the last of the cars slipped through the bridge followed by Rabbit. Alyce tried to slip pass the guarded booth but was called back sharply.

"Excuse me Miss!"

When Alice kept walking the voice rang out again.

" Hey, you!"

Alyce walked back warily to the tollbooth looking through the glass at a sturdy man. He had a certain wooden hardness to his face. Alyce noticed his large rounded nose, very much like a doorknob and was tempted to walk right in that little box and turn his knob, err…nose, to see if the drawbridge would open.

"Sir, my dog just ran through, I-"

"Okay, that'll be 75 cents for you and 25 for your dog." He nodded to the slot used to collect the coins.

"But- I don't have any money, I wasn't –" and Alyce began rambling through her story. He held up in his hand,

"Miss, I've heard it all before, pay up or leave, your keeping the line from moving and that is an offense."

Alyce searched her pockets even though she knew she would find nothing.

A new voice sounded over Alyce's shoulder, "Here." Alyce looked over her shoulder to find boy, about her age. She scooted over and watched as he slid coins into the slot for the both of them with nimble, perhaps musician, fingers. He straightened, she noted he was tall and thin but not too wiry, about a head taller than her. The boy smiled at her, parting his lips to revile a smile full of sparkling teeth that made his warm honey eyes crinkle in the corners. He had a certain old movie appeal to him; his clothes weren't actually too far off from Bert's chimney sweep outfit in Mary Poppins actually. He wore a black distressed leather jacket and black corduroys. His shoes had seen better days as had the threadbare red scarf tied around his neck. A dark tweed cap sat jauntily on his head covering a mop of brown hair. A pair of round goggles hung around his neck.

"Thank You so much, I-" she was about to say she would pay him back but that seemed improbable since she had never seen him in her life and probably never would again.

He held up a hand, "No, no problem. My pleasure." He turned to walk away then turned back, walked backwards a few steps and tipped his hat. Then straddling his Vesba scooter he strapped the goggles on his face.

The tollbooth man raised the bar and let him pass. He gave Alyce a look of disapproval but let her go through anyways.

And then, there Alyce was in New York City, a Wonderland.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Alyce continued down the street and with each step the crowds grew.

Alyce had always stood out but at the same time blended in. Yes, her clothes were bold and unusual but her demeanor kept her from being bothered by the people around her. Today though, she didn't stand out, well maybe she did with the lost look on her face, but not by her usual strangeness. Here, people were dressed in an array of this and that and everyone seemed to have their own agenda. People called for taxis or sat at bus stations, walked quickly down the street carrying a brief case or chatting with friends.

Alyce asked several people for directions or if they had possibly seen a white dog and was denied of any information; either brushed off or completely ignored.

"Hot-dogs, TD's Hot dogs!"

"Hot-dogs, TD's Hot dogs!"

"HEY!"

"HEY!"

Alyce turned her head to see two, very similar, men arguing and both red in the face. The men looked as if Alyce had slid a mirror in between one of them and his reflection was his brother. They both had thin dark hair combed over a sweaty scalp and multiple chins. Each wore kaki shorts with a yellow t-shirt and white aprons hugging their girth.

"What do you think your doing?"

"What do you think _your_ doing?"

Each man stood with a red and yellow striped hot dog stand in front of them with, "TD's Hot Dogs" printed in block lettering across the front. Curiously, Alyce stepped forward.

"What can I get you?" They said in unison.

"I-" she began but was cut off.

They gave each other dirty looks and continued arguing behind their hands, Alyce could hear certain snippets of their disagreement.

"Customer"

"I'm telling ma'!"

"Family business"

Alyce tried to put in that she just wanted to know if they had seen a dog or possibly give her directions some place though she didn't really know where she would go but all she got in the conversation was, "Could you tell me-".

"I've got the best hotdogs in town, believe me, and my supplier,"

The other man continued off his brother's sentence but was obviously speaking on his own behalf, "which is the same as mine because he copied me like he always does and-"

"Me, copy you?"

And the argument continued some more.

Alyce tried all the impolite-polite things like clearing her throat, tapping her foot, and looking at a watch, though she wasn't wearing one. Usually an exceptionally patient person, Alyce felt quite contrary.

"Excuse me," she said timidly and then, "EXCUSE ME!"

"Yes?" They said in unison with haughty undertones. Who was she to walk up the their respectable business and be so rude?

Alyce blushed slightly, "I-I just wanted to know if you had seen my dog? A small white dog?"

"Yeah, that way," one of the men hooked a finger down a street. He gave his brother a look, who replied with, "People these days…"

She thanked them feebly and was on her way.


End file.
